Ohad Yahalomi

Ohad is an Israeli-French citizen, resident of Kibbutz Nir Oz. Ohad is the heart of a tight-knit family, a group of true friends, and a dedicated team of workers. Wherever he is, his charisma draws people in and expands his circle of loved ones.
Ohad is an active and sportive person; he used to run every morning, swim, and travel across the country. Bat-Sheva, his wife, says he is an involved father, deeply connected to his children, and makes them laugh at every opportunity.
On the morning of Saturday, October 7, Hamas terrorists forcefully invaded the Yahalomi home on Kibbutz Nir Oz. Ohad was shot while shielding Bat-Sheva, his wife, and their three children.
Eitan (12) was kidnapped separately from his mother and sisters, aged 10 years and 8 months. Ohad, injured, stayed behind in the house with the terrorists.
Eitan was put on one motorcycle, Bat-Sheva and the girls on another. As the terrorists headed towards the Gaza Strip, they spotted an IDF tank and panicked. The motorcycle carrying Bat-Sheva and the girls fell, and they managed to escape, helplessly watching as Eitan was taken into the Gaza strip.
Bat-Sheva seized the rare opportunity, held her daughters in her arms and began running for their lives, towards the kibbutz. "We were barefoot and in our pajamas," she recalled, "and the little ones were in my arms the whole time. At some point, we got tired, so I told Yael (10) that we have to lie down on the ground and pretend to be dead. Even the baby lay there with us - she understood that something very, very different was happening." While they were out in the fields, a couple of Gazans came towards them. "They started saying: 'Come with us to Gaza, there's no point going to Nir Oz, everything there is burnt and they're shooting there.' I saw they were not armed, so I said 'NO' and just took the girls and ran away from them."
Bat-Sheva and the girls managed to return to the kibbutz area, saw a bus dropping off soldiers, and were finally evacuated from there. That's when they discovered that Ohad was no longer at home. It turned out he had been kidnapped as well.
During his captivity, Eitan was held by himself, completely alone for long days. He did not know what was happening with his family. The first time Eitan understood that his mother and sisters were not kidnapped was when he came back home: "The night before, they told me I was being released. I was happy but didn't fully believe it would happen. I didn't know that my mom was doing things to get me back; I thought she was kidnapped too. Only when I got out and stepped off the van, they told me she was waiting for me."
Eitan misses his father and eagerly awaits his return. "I worry about him. I remember the booms of the explosions; it was really scary. I think he hears them too and maybe that scares him as well. I tried to ask about him while we were there, but they wouldn't tell me anything. He must come back as soon as possible; we need to bring him and everyone else back."
The Yahalomi family doesn't know if Ohad’s injury is being treated, what his condition is, or under what conditions he is being held. When the terrorists took Bat-Sheva and the children, Ohad told them he loved them, and that was their farewell. Since then, there has been no word from him. They miss him and are very worried about him.